beisheim



(No Model.) Q -2 Sheets-Sheet 1. H. BEISHEIM;

MAT.

No. 496,216. Patented Apr. 25,1893,

O @m/m 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No'ModeL) H. BEISHEIM.

- MAT. r I I No. 496,216. Patented Apr. 25,1893,

U f QMOHPW MVRM Mn STATES PATENT FFIGE.

HENRY BEISHEIM, OF JERSEY CITY, NEW JERSEY.

MAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,216, dated April25, 1893.

Application filed April 16, 1892. Serial No. 429,437. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY BEISHEIM, a citi- 'zen of the United States,residing at Jersey City, New Jersey, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Mats, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of mats which are composed of aseries of strips formed usually and preferably of metal.

The object of my invention is to provide a mat which shall be light,durable, easily constructed and ornamental, and which shall possess therequisite strength of construction without being absolutely rigid andunyielding to the feet.

To this end my invention consists in the novel details of constructionand arrange ment and combination of parts which are herein shown anddescribed and specifically pointed out in the claims. In theaccompanying drawings Figure l is a plan view of a mat embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is a perspective View showing the end of one of thestrips and the manner in which it is connected to the frame. Fig. 3 is asectional view on the line 33 (Fig. 1). Fig. 4 is a partial plan viewshowing a modified construction. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view onthe line 5-5 (Fig. 1). Fig. 6 is a detail view showing one of the clipsemployed 7 in securing the strips to ,theends of the frame in themodified construction shown in Fig. 4.

* Fig. 7 is a plan view showing a modified construction. Fig. 8 is apartial plan View showing a modified construction. Fig. 9 is a detailsectional view on the line 99 (Figs. 7 and 8).

Similar letters are employed to designate corresponding parts in all theviews.

In carrying out my invention I employa series of metal strips A whichare suitably corrugated, and are preferably secured in a frame. Theframe is usually formed in two sections B B and of tubular slottedmaterial bent to the desired shape. The strips A and frame sections B Bare secured in place by the stay rods 0, which pass through all thestrips and the side portions of the frame sections, and the ends ofwhich are upset against the sides of the frame. A yielding engagement isformed between the strips A by forming small projections a on the apicesof some of the corrugations, and by punching holes or recesses a in theabutting corrugations of the adjacent strips so as to engage with theprojections a. The ends of the strips A are reduced in width so as toenter the slots in the end portions of the tubular frame sections. Thesereduced ends (Fig. 1) pass through holes formed in the frame, and areupset against the outside thereof. A short piece of metal D, preferablyof tubular form, and of the proper size to enter the tubular frame isplaced within the abutting ends of the frame sections. Two holes arepunched in the connecting piece or sleeve D, one of which shall registerwith the last hole formed in one frame section, and the other of whichshall register with the corresponding hole on the other frame sectionwhen said sections are placed in position. The end a of one of thestrips A is passed through one hole in the sleeve, and through the lasthole on one frame section and secured in place as above described, andthe end a of the next strip passes through the other hole in the sleeveD, and through thelast hole on the other frame section and is secured asabove described, by t which means the two frame sections may beexpeditiously secured in place, and the fastening prevents the ends ofthe frame from spreading or becoming distorted, and this is accomplishedwithout detracting in any manner from the appearance of the mat.

In Fig. 4 is shown a modified construction, in which the ends of thestrips A merely enter a slot in the frame sections, being held in placetherein by clips E, which are secured to the stay rods 0, and which areprovided with heads larger than the slot in theframe sections, so thatwhen the heads of the clips are inserted in the tubular frame sections,as shown in Fig. 6, any longitudinal movement of the ends of the stripsA will be prevented.

In Fig. 7 I show a construction in which the frame is entirely dispensedwith. In this on the rods by nutsf, or other suitable fastening devices.

In Fig.8 is shown a similar construction, in which the mat is providedwith side bars or rods H, through the ends of which the rods F pass, andto which the outside strips of the mat may be secured if desired.

As my improved mat can be made without the employment of the expensivemachinery usually required to fasten the strips to each other, and as nolabor of any kind is required for the purpose beyond the punching of theprojections a and perforations or recesses a in the strips, I am enabledto produce a mat at the lowest possible cost.

My improved mat is particularly desirable for use in elevators, where itis employed as a floor covering also.

here the strips forming the body of the mat are fastened together in themanner heretoforein vogue, to wit: by formingtongues on one strip,passing them through perforations on the adjacent strip, and thenclinching the tongues, the mat is perfectly rigid and unyielding to thefeet, making it uncomfortableto stand on for any length of time. Thisobjection is, however entirely obviated by my improved construction, inwhich the teat-like projections ct merely enter loosely the recesses abut are not passed through them and clinched as heretofore, so that whenany portion of the mat is subjected to pressure, the adjacentprojections will yield slightly, first by the movement of theprojections in the recesses, and then if the pressure continues, theprojections may slip out of the recesses, springing back into place whenthe pressure is removed. My improvement thus not only renders the matmuch more comfortable to the feet and much cheaper to construct, butalso preserves the shape of the mat perfectly and obviates anydistortion of the corrugations by undue straining at their point ofjuncture.

It is to be understood that the projections and co-operatingperforations or recesses may be placed as frequently as desired. I haveusually found that by connecting every third corrugation in this manner,the mat will be sufficiently strong for all ordinary uses, but thisarrangement may be varied as required.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a metal mat, the combination with a series of corrugated strips,of stay rods for s'e curingsaid strips together,projections formed atthe apices of the corrugations in the said strips, and slots or recessesformed in the abutting corrugations of the adjacent strips into whichsaid projections enter loosely, thereby forming a yielding engagementbetween the strips, substantially as described.

2. In a metal mat, the combination of a frame, a series of corrugatedstrips secured therein, stay rods for, securing said strips together,projections formed at the apices of the corrugations in said strips andslots or recesses formed in the abutting corrugations of the adjacentstrips into which said projections enter loosely, thereby forming ayielding engagement between the strips, substantially as described.

3. In a metal mat, the combination of a tubular slotted frame, a seriesof corrugated strips having reduced ends passing through and secured tothe end portions of said frame, stay rods passing through said stripsand secured to the side portions of said frame, projections formed atthe apices of the corrugations in said strips, and slots or recessesformed in the abutting corrugations of the adjacent strips into whichsaid projections enter loosely, thereby forming a yielding engagementbetween the strips, substantially as described.

4. In a metal mat, the combination of a tubular slotted frame, a seriesof corrugated strips having reduced ends which enter the slots in theend portions of said frame, stay rods passing through said strips andsecured to the side portions of the frame and clips secured to the stayrods nearest the ends of the strips, said clips being provided withheads, wider than the slot in the frame, which are confined in thetubular end portions of the frame, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a frame for metal mats, the combination of the tubular framesections, aconnecting strip or sleeve entering the abutting ends of theframe sections, and strips extending from end to end of the mat, andhaving reduced ends which pass through the connecting strip or sleeveand the frame on both sides of thejuncture of the frame sections,substantially as shown and described.

HENRY BEISIIEIM.

Witnesses:

S. G. BIETCALF, W. W. SHAW.

